Processing a web of media in a roll-to-roll fashion can be an advantageous and low-cost manufacturing approach for devices or other objects formed on the web of media. A number of manufacturing methods, such as etching, plating, developing, or rinsing include processing the media in a tank of liquid chemicals. Transporting the web of media through the liquid chemicals can provide technical challenges, especially if rollers are used to guide the web of media, as is conventionally done. An example of a process that includes web transport through liquid chemicals is roll-to-roll electroless plating.
Electroless plating, also known as chemical or auto-catalytic plating, is a plating process that involves chemical reactions in an aqueous plating solution that occur without the use of external electrical power. Typically, the plating occurs as hydrogen is released by a reducing agent and oxidized, thus producing a negative charge on the surface of the part to be plated. The negative charge attracts metal ions out of the plating solution to adhere as a metalized layer onto the surface. Using electroless plating to provide metallization in predetermined locations can be facilitated by first depositing a catalytic material in the predetermined locations. This can be done, for example, by printing features using an ink containing a catalytic component. Conventionally, electroless plating has typically been performed by immersing the item to be plated in a tank of plating solution. However, for high volume plating of features on both sides of a web of substrate material, it is preferable to perform the electroless plating in a roll-to-roll electroless plating system.
Touch screens are visual displays with areas that can be configured to detect both the presence and location of a touch by, for example, a finger, a hand or a stylus. Touch screens can be found in many common devices such as televisions, computers, computer peripherals, mobile computing devices, automobiles, appliances and game consoles, as well as in other industrial, commercial and household applications. A capacitive touch screen includes a substantially transparent substrate which is provided with electrically conductive patterns that do not excessively impair the transparency—either because the conductors are made of a material, such as indium tin oxide, that is substantially transparent, or because the conductors are sufficiently narrow that the transparency is provided by the comparatively large open areas not containing conductors. For capacitive touch screens having metallic conductors, it is advantageous for the features to be highly conductive but also very narrow. Capacitive touch screen sensor films are an example of an article having very fine features with improved electrical conductivity resulting from an electrolessly-plated metal layer.
Projected capacitive touch technology is a variant of capacitive touch technology. Projected capacitive touch screens are made up of a matrix of rows and columns of conductive material that form a grid. Voltage applied to this grid creates a uniform electrostatic field, which can be measured. When a conductive object, such as a finger, comes into contact, it distorts the local electrostatic field at that point. This is measurable as a change in capacitance. The capacitance can be measured at every intersection point on the grid. In this way, the system is able to accurately track touches. Projected capacitive touch screens can use either mutual capacitive sensors or self capacitive sensors. In mutual capacitive sensors, there is a capacitor at every intersection of each row and each column. A 16×14 array, for example, would have 224 independent capacitors. A voltage is applied to the rows or columns. Bringing a finger or conductive stylus close to the surface of the sensor changes the local electrostatic field which reduces the mutual capacitance. The capacitance change at every individual point on the grid can be measured to accurately determine the touch location by measuring the voltage in the other axis. Mutual capacitance permits multi-touch operation where multiple fingers, palms or styli can be accurately tracked at the same time.
WO 2013/063188 (Petcavich et al.) discloses a method of manufacturing a capacitive touch sensor using a roll-to-roll process to print a conductor pattern on a flexible transparent dielectric substrate. A first conductor pattern is printed on a first side of the dielectric substrate using a first flexographic printing plate, and is then cured. A second conductor pattern is printed on a second side of the dielectric substrate using a second flexographic printing plate, and is then cured. The ink used to print the patterns includes a catalyst that acts as seed layer during a subsequent electroless plating operation. The electrolessly-plated material (e.g., copper) provides the low resistivity in the narrow lines of the grid needed for excellent performance of the capacitive touch sensor. Petcavich et al. indicate that the line width of the flexographically-printed material can be 1 to 50 microns.
Flexography is a method of printing or pattern formation that is commonly used for high-volume printing runs. It is typically employed in a roll-to-roll format for printing on a variety of soft or easily deformed materials including, but not limited to, paper, paperboard stock, corrugated board, polymeric films, fabrics, metal foils, glass, glass-coated materials, flexible glass materials and laminates of multiple materials. Coarse surfaces and stretchable polymeric films are also economically printed using flexography.
Flexographic printing members are sometimes known as relief printing members, relief-containing printing plates, printing sleeves, or printing cylinders, and are provided with raised relief images onto which ink is applied for application to a printable material. While the raised relief images are inked, the recessed relief “floor” should remain free of ink.
Although flexographic printing has conventionally been used in the past for printing of images, more recent uses of flexographic printing have included functional printing of devices, such as touch screen sensor films, antennas, and other devices to be used in electronics or other industries. Such devices typically include electrically conductive patterns.
To improve the optical quality and reliability of the touch screen, it has been found to be preferable that the width of the grid lines be approximately 2 to 10 microns, and even more preferably to be 4 to 8 microns. In addition, in order to be compatible with the high-volume roll-to-roll manufacturing process, it is preferable for the roll of flexographically printed material to be electroless plated in a roll-to-roll electroless plating system.
Patterns, especially fine line patterns that are plated using electroless plating systems, are often delicate and susceptible to being damaged as the web of substrate is transported along the web-transport path. For example, particulates can be located on the media support surface of a roller that contacts the web surface and cause scratches as the web of media passes. Therefore it is desirable to minimize contact between the web of media and hard surfaces where abrasion can occur.
WO 2009/044124 (Lymn), entitled “Web processing machine,” discloses a web transport system using submerged fluid bearings in which process liquid is directed through apertures to lift the web of media away from the bearing surface. In Lymn's preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that non-submerged upper web guides that are located above the liquid level can also use fluid bearings where air is used as the fluid. However, Lymn also contemplates using process liquid in place of air in a non-submerged upper web. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0192757 (Lymn), also entitled “Web processing machine,” describes a configuration including drying guides over a processing tank. The guides have outlet slits through which air is blown to provide a bearing medium as well as a drying medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,098 (Brooks), entitled “Method for coating webs” provides air ejected through tubes to float a web along an undulating path. The holes are formed radially in the tube walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,326 (Schmidt), entitled “Fluid bearings for strip material” teaches ejecting processing liquid through holes in a tube for providing a fluid bearing for a web of media.
An objective for web guides that support the web of media using liquid bearings is to provide sufficient standoff (i.e., the distance between the web of media and the surface of the web guide) in order to reduce the likelihood of the web of media contacting the web guide surface. It is preferable to provide sufficient web standoff with a relatively low flow rate of ejected liquid in the liquid bearings. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide stable web transport without web flutter that can increase the chances of the web contacting the web guide surface. Finally, it is advantageous to control the ejection of liquid such that the ejected liquid is not wasted or cause contamination.
There remains a need for improved web transport systems using liquid bearings that can reduce the occurrence of scratches due to web contact with the web guide, while using a reduced amount of ejected liquid and providing improved flow control of the ejected liquid.